Revelers in Chelsea will once again get another hour to ring in the new year.
Last week, the Licensing Commission approved allowing restaurants that serve alcoholto stay open until 2 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, one hour later than usual. It looks to be a busy night, as New Year’s Eve is on a Saturday this year.
The commission also reiterated the regulations for Christmas Day. Stores will not be able to sell alcoholic beverages on Dec. 25, and bars and restaurants will not be able to serve alcoholic beverages until noon on Christmas.
In other business, the Licensing Commission approved an entertainment and amusement license for Tambo 22 at 22 Adams St. that will allow the restaurant to have a DJ if they wish.
Representatives from the restaurant said they would use a DJ for background ambience and not for dancing, and noted that the restaurant closes at 11 p.m. Tambo 22 has had one-day licenses for similar events in the past, and police and commission members said there have been no issues with those events.
“The place is run properly and I don’t believe we’ve ever gotten a neighborhood complaint, so I would say to grant it based on their location and hours of operation,” said Police Chief Keith Houghton.
The commission also approved issuing a medical marijuana license to Harbor House Collective at 80 Eastern Ave. The business already has a recreational marijuana sales license.
“We want to expand our reach in terms of the type of customer we can accept at our facility, as well as be able to provide a medical and educational benefit on top of our advertising and how we market our products,” said Richard Su, the chief compliance officer of the business.
While there have been no other medical marijuana licenses issued in Chelsea, Houghton said he did not necessarily have an issue with it, since medical marijuana licenses were approved in the state prior to recreational sales.
“We’ve had no issues with any of the locations, and I did not know that this would be the first dual-type license,” said Houghton.
Su noted that higher THC levels are allowed for medical marijuana edibles, adding that the medical and recreational sales would have different storage and purchase areas. He said the license also needs final approval from the state’s cannabis control commission.
Harbor House Collective has had its recreational marijuana license for 14 months, and Su said the business has seen its sales volume increase, but that there have not been any issues with traffic at the location.